Tourism in Indonesia is considered to be less implanted in local wisdom values. It looks that tourism development still has a main focus on economic growth. These conditions have resulted in negative impacts and potentially cause tourism unsustainable.
That was the topic discussing the #8 National Tourism Seminar Series held by the Postgraduate School, Tourism Studies Study Program, Universitas Gadjah Mada on Monday night (9/2). This seminar invited the speaker Dr. Awaludin Nugraha, M.Hum, Lecturer at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Padjajaran University, an alumnus of the UGM Doctor of Tourism Studies program.
Awaludin stated that sustainable tourism implementation had already been mandated in Law No. 10 of 2009. Accordingly, sustainable tourism must pay attention to local cultural values, especially local wisdom that develops and is institutionalized in the community. At the same time, local culture tends to be only a commodity.
Conducting research in Kampung Naga, West Java, Awaludin perceived that this area had developed to be a popular tourist destination. Nevertheless, the people still preserve the values of local wisdom.
Since the 1970s, many domestic and foreign tourists have visited Kampung Naga. There are five types of tourism offered in Kampung Naga: cultural tourism as the main destination, unforeseen cultural tourism, cultural sightseeing tours, casual cultural tourism, and incidental cultural tourism.
"The visitors are guests and distant families who want to stay in touch with their ancestors. Therefore, guests who come to Kampung Naga are profoundly respected and served well without charging an entrance fee such as in other tourist villages that have been commercially managed," he explained.
Meanwhile, Dr. Pande Made Kutanegara, M.Sc., as a tourism observer from UGM, highlighted the urgency to conceive local wisdom and blend it into community development. Instead of an object of development, society should have been the subject of development.
He added that local wisdom also helps maintain community groups' sustainability, such as conserving and preserving natural resources, human beings, science, culture and traditions, ethics and community morals, and creating a harmonious relationship between humans, nature, and surroundings.
Author: Ika
Photo: travel.detik.com
Translator: Natasa A